Potato-masher.



C. K. BURFORD.

POTATO MASHERL APPLICATION man FEB. 13. 1911.

Patented May1,1917.

GLU G Q EUIOI I WITN E55 0.. wAsumc TlfNTTED STATES PATENT @TTTQE.

CLARENCE K. BURFOBD,.OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

POTATO-MASI-IER.

Application filed February 13, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE K. Bonronma citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have 1nvented certain new and useful Improvements in Potato-Mashers, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a device for mashing potatoes, vegetables or any other relatively soft material which it may be desirable to work into a uniform subdivided mass without lumps. For brevity, the device is referred to as a potato masher as this is its principal intended use and the material is referred to as potatoes, but it will be understood that this means of reference does not involve any limitation as to the use of the apparatus or of the scope of the invention. It has for itsv principal obj ects; the provision of a simple inexpensive device not liable to get out of order and readily cleaned; the provision of a device which can be used to mash or work the material without removing it from the receptacle in which it is contained so that the potatoes or other material can be kept hot while being worked; and the provision of a device which is very effective to reduce the material to a finely divided uniform condition free from lumps. One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein- The figure is a longitudinal section through the device.

Briefly stated, the device in its preferred form comprises an inverted cup of perforated sheet metal, a plunger also of perforated sheet metal working in the cup, a hollow handle carrying the cup, and a second handle slidable through the first handle and carrying at its lower end the plunger.

As shown in the drawings, the cup shaped member may consists of the tubular side wall 1 and the top wall 2 both of which members are provided with the perforations 8 which may be varied in size to meet the requirements of the particular material acted upon. The upper wall 2 is secured to the tube 4 which carries the hand engaging member 5 which member is secured in place by turning out tongues of metal 6 from the tube 4 above and below the member 5.

Working inside of the cup is the plunger 7 provided with the perforations 8. This plunger is carried by the handle 9 which Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1, 1917.

Serial No. 148,452.

slides through the tube 4. The upper end of the handle 9 is screw-threaded, as indicated at 10. This screw-thread provides the means for attaching the hand engaging member which consists of the wood portion 11 carrying the sheet metal portion 12 which is crimped so as to form a screw-thread for engaging the thread 10.

The lower end of the member 12 is turned out, as indicated at 13, and opposes a similar turned out portion 14 on the upper end of the tube 4, such turned out portions constituting stops whereby the downward movement of the inner handle 9 and the plunger 7 carried thereby is limited. The hand engaging portion on the inner handle 9 may be readily unscrewed after which the parts of the device can be disassembled for cleanmg.

In operation the inverted cup is placed over the potatoes or other material in the pan in which they are cooked with the plunger 7 'in its upper position adjacent the top Wall 2 of the cup. The handle of the plunger is then forced down so that the material inclosed by the cup is partially forced through the perforations in the plunger 7 and partially through the perforations in the side wall of the cup. The plunger is then drawn up and any material which has passed through the plunger into the cup is squeezed out either through the perforations in the side wall 3 or through the perforations in the top wall 2 and plunger 7. The plunger is then moved to a new position in the material and the operation repeated. It will be seen that the operation of forcing the potatoes or other material through the perforations can be readily accomplished while such material remains in the pan in which it is cooked so that there is no unnecessary cooling of such material, such as is the case with the ordinary potato masher of this type wherein the potato must be removed from the dish and placed inside a receptacle or press having perforated sides. It will also be seen that the working of the material is very thorough as on each operation of the device, the material is forced through a plurality of sets of perforations. The device is simple, can be cheaply constructed and readily cleaned, and is very effective in its operation.

It will be understood that the construction may be variously modified as to its details, and that various kinds of foraminous or perforated walls or plungers may be em ployed depending upon the conditions to be met. For use as a potato masher the device is preferably constructed as heretofore illustrated and described, the walls of the cup, the plunger and the tubes 4 and 9 being preferably made of sheet metal and the parts 5 and 11 of wood.

What I claim is:

1. A device for working or mashing potatoes or the like comprising a cup shaped member of foraminous material having a closure member at the top and open at the bottom and a plunger plate of foraminous material working in the tubular member.

2. A device for Working or mashing potatoes or the like comprising an inverted cup member having side and top walls of perforated material and its bottom open,

and a plunger plate having perforations and Working in the-tubular member.

3. A device for working or mashing potatoes or the like comprislng an lnverted cup of perforated sheet metal, a hollow handle therefor, a second handle working in the hollow handle, and a perforated metal plunger carried by the lower end of the second handle and Working through the cup.

4. A device for working or mashing potatoes or the like comprising an inverted cup of sheet metal having its side walls perforated, a hollow handle therefor, a second handle Working in the hollow handle, and a perforated metal plunger carried by the lower end of the second handle and working through the cup;

5. A device for working or mashing potatoes or the like comprising an inverted cup of metal having its side walls perforated, a hollow handle therefor, a second handle working in the hollow handle, and a perforated metal plunger carried by the lower end of the second ing' through the cup.

CLARENCE K. BURFORD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

plunger and work- 

